Dedication
by Sardonik
Summary: Itachi and his girlfriend pre-Uchiha massacre one-shot.


**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. If I did, Itachi's (canon) girlfriend woulda been named.**

Uchiha Shiko was pregnant. She'd hoped at buying the pregnancy test would calm her fears. After all, they'd used a condom. Every time. But... maybe it had gotten damaged, or maybe the one she'd swiped from her older sister's cabinet had been tampered with. It'd be just like the manipulative woman to be trying to get her boyfriend to finally propose. Shiko stared at the array of pregnancy tests she'd swiped from her sister's cabinet, and then at the ones she'd bought herself just in case. All of them had the same result: pregnant.

Shiko was a kunoichi, and and Uchiha at that, and had been taken aside when she got her first period and taught about the birds and the bees. Not being one to leave out any possible gaps in her education, she'd transformed herself to look like her older sister and read almost every book on sex, reproduction, and learned what her responsiblities were at the local library. Of course she'd been careful. She knew she was too young to bear a child and expect no problems. She wouldn't have had sex, but sometimes it seemed that the only time her semi-boyfriend Uchiha Itachi actually looked at her, was when they were intimate. She'd wanted to push the borders of that closeness, maybe crack that facade he always wore. Even though they were the same age, he seemed much older. The missions he was assigned were on a completely different level than what she did, and sometimes he came back and didn't even talk when they met. Just embraced her, silently. She knew it was a particularly bad one when he came back freshly washed, smelling like soap and feeling soft with every bit of skin scrubbed raw.

Shiko gathered up the tests and burned them, then put on her flak jacket and headed outside. Shiko's father didn't even ask where she was going. She'd always been a good girl. Never got in trouble, never teased other children. She knew what was expected of her as an Uchiha. When Itachi had awakened his sharingan, Shiko had quietly snuck away from the house the same way, and picked fights with common bandits, handicapping herself more every time until it was a life-and-death battle everytime. It had taken a year, and she'd limped quietly into the hospital more times than she could remember, but her sharingan had awakened. Shisui- her brother- noticed almost right away, but she didn't know if Itachi noticed. Or if he cared. He smiled at her, and remembered her birthday, and sometimes told surprisingly funny stories about something that had happened during a mission, but Shiko knew Itachi did that for everyone. Even sleeping together, she knew, might be as unique as saying good-morning to him.

Still, Itachi was responsible, and smart, and never hurt someone intentionally, so he was the one she was going to ask for advice. It had been a few weeks since she'd seen him- not unusual for the future head of the clan. It might be a few more weeks since he'd suddenly appear walking next to her in the street, as if no time at all had passed. Normally Shiko wouldn't mind, but today- today was different.

Shiko had been inside the main house when she was younger, and her mother had brought her along while she visited with the family.  
That had ended with the last war, when her mother had died. Today it looked much the same- smaller, but a little bit more intimidating. She was coming here alone, after all, unannounced and uninvited.

A small boy sat on the porch, finishing his homework. Shiko smiled. Uchiha Sasuke, no doubt. Itachi's little brother. She sat down next to him silently, watching over his shoulder, wondering if he'd noticed her already or was too absorbed in what he was doing. She didn't know much about him- but she knew that Itachi never, ever, talked about his younger brother, and that must mean he was important to him. Itachi only talked about things that didn't matter, even to her. Maybe especially to her.

Sasuke looked over at Shiko, face expressionless like children are when they haven't figured out what emotion they should be feeling. Shiko smiled. "Looks like you got all of those right, kiddo. Bet you're at the time of your class all the time."

Sasuke blushed slightly from the compliment. Well, Uchiha's rarely complimented each other- it was far more productive to give critism after all. Shiko wasn't speaking idly though- she'd been in the same class as Itachi, and he'd always been the best. She knew from experience that younger siblings usually followed in the older siblings footsteps or ran the opposite direction- and that would have meant running around in the streets playing games, not quietly finishing homework.

"Are you here to see my brother?" Sasuke asked. Shiko nodded, seeing the question in Sasuke's eyes. Was she his girlfriend? She didn't answer, because she didn't really know.

Instead, Shiko smiled just a little bit more. Not too much- even a six-year-old could probably tell a fake smile, in a ninja village. Just enough to be friendly, and hide any impatience or worry that might leak out in her voice. "You think he's going to be back soon?"

"Good to see you, Shiko-chan," Itachi said, suddenly there. How could someone walk so quietly with so little effort? "Shall we go?" His face was perfectly friendly, but Shiko knew the invitation to go meant she'd stepped over a boundary he wasn't comfortable with. She wondered if he'd told his family about her. Probably not. Probably told them as much about her as he told her about them. That was the way that sort of thing usually worked.

Her smile wavered only for a moment, but she was a kunoichi. Pretending to be happy and pleasant was almost second-nature to female ninja. "Sure," she said, following him out. He didn't ask her why she was at his house, and she didn't offer. Not quite yet.

Itachi slowed a little bit and turned torward Shiko, a slight, natural-looking smile on his face. Ah, she thought. He *is* irritated with me, it seems. "Did you want to get something to eat?"

She took a breath, feeling her smile fade. "I, well, we... should probably talk. I, um..." Shiko broke off, looking at Itachi's face. As usual, she couldn't read it. Was he angry? Or was that... hurt? Did Itachi think she was going to break up with her? Itachi looked away and reached for Shiko's hand. Warm, she thought. We've never held hand in public before. Maybe he's trying to make up for shooing me away from his house. Maybe... maybe he really does like me in a special way.

They ended up by the storage shed where they had ducked in from the rain on one of their 'dates'. That day, Itachi had been overly cheerful as they walked through the town, but as they had sat and waited for the monsoon-like onpour to end he eventually turned silent. Shiko hadn't encouraged him to start up again. More than anything, she wanted to know the real Itachi. That cheerful, friendly facade wasn't it by a long shot. And then they'd had sex for the first time. It was slow, and tender, and afterwards Itachi had held Shiko close to him long after the rain had ended and their clothes were mostly dry.

This day, they ducked inside and as if agreed on before hand sat next to each other, Itachi holding Shiko like he had that day. Tenderly, but warily too. A good ninja was always wary, and Itachi was a good ninja.

Shiko starting talking, slowly and hesitantly at first, but with more confidence as Itachi didn't seem to get angry, about the pregnancy tests and their results. After she finished he was silent for a few moments, staring outside as if the rain was still pouring outside. He didn't let go of her, or move at all for a moment, and then leaned forward with his hands clasped together and his forarms resting on his knees, thinking.

At long last he spoke, voice measured and confident. "Shiko, how much have you figured out about the clan's activities lately?"

Shiko started. She'd kept track of everything she could, of course. She'd always kept track of things that had to do with Itachi. She didn't get much intel on his missions, or their specifics at least, but she tried when she could. How else could she have learnt how to tell when Itachi was upset or happy? Taken by themselves, his mannerisms could have meant almost anything. So even though her family didn't mention the secret meetings, she'd figured out something was going on. Something pretty big, having to do with Itachi.

"Just... basically, that they want to get more power. And they're using you to spy on people. But I mean, it's kind of obvious, right?" Shiko tried to look innocent, but she knew she wasn't supposed to know what was going on at all. Even though she and Itachi were the same age, she was treated like a child.

Itachi laughed slightly. It almost looked... real. He put his arm around her, almost possessivly. "What that means, Shiko-chan, is that it's pretty dangerous right now."

"Does that... does that mean..."Shiko swallowed. "Should I have an abortion?"

Itachi was silent, looking away again. "I don't know, Shiko-chan. Have you talked about this with your father?"

"I... no." She hadn't even considered it. It had been years since she'd discussed anything with her family. Since her mother had died. "I don't really think it's his business."

"Why?"

Shiko thought for a moment. "I... I'm a ninja. When I go on a mission, I don't ask my father's permission. I don't cry on his shoulder if someone dies." She glanced at Itachi, who was staring at her. No, not staring. Observing. Itachi never stared. "Well, I don't really cry on anyone's shoulder, I guess."

"Have you seen people die?" The voice was quiet, deadpan.

A smile flickered on and off Shiko's face. "You know already, right?" Her mother. Her teammate. People she didn't know that well. She'd never really bothered to get to know most people anyway, after the first death she'd witnessed. And enemies, of course. She'd killed before she'd had a period. She thought about the child in her stomach- possible child. She thought about the things the clan were planning- possibly planning.

"Shiko-chan, what do you want to do?"

Shiko glanced back at Itachi and then back away, blushing. Of course, what she wanted to do was to be with Itachi.

More gently. "Shiko-chan, tell me, ne?"

"I... I want to help you." It was honest, at least, if greatly understating her feelings.

"Help me?"

Shiko laughed, and realized she was crying. "I know, it's funny, right?" She swallowed, feeling the salty tears running down. "I've caused a problem, haven't I? I'm sorry, Itachi."

He smiled, wiping the tears away with his fingers, so gently she could hardly feel it. "No, Shiko, you aren't the problem." He paused, hand on the cheek, barely. "But to get the solution, you're going to have to keep this a secret for a few weeks. I'll go on your missions with you, ok?"

Shiko nodded. She wasn't sure what Itachi had planned, but she'd never known a plan of his to go wrong, no matter the situation. It was going to be ok.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Itachi had kept an eye on Shiko, like he said. She hadn't been assigned to very many missions- a few easy ones inside the village, and Itachi had come along, watching her. He didn't talk very much, other than to ask a few questions about Shiko's day. One day he'd taken her to see a medic-nin she didn't know who had examined her stomach and assured her the child was going to be healthy. Another day he'd taken her shopping in a neighboring village, and she'd woken up next to him in the hotel room. His eyes were closed and he was breathing slowly, and Shiko wondered if he'd fallen asleep. She'd kissed his hair where it had fallen over his cheek and got dressed, and by the time she had turned around he was up and dressed.

Things with the clan were getting more stressful. Her father, who hadn't paid much attention to her in the best of times, became completely oblivious to anything she did. Her sister moved into her boyfriends place one morning and the house started feeling empty. Shisui starting being on missions or training in all of his free time. Shiko didn't drop by Itachi's house again, but he came by from time to time and walked with her a ways. He said very little, and what he did said Shiko didn't understand. Intellectual things, or comments that seemed like in-jokes, only he never explained them. Sometimes Itachi would bring ninja manuals to read, or improved weapons to replace the ones she usually carried. Useful things, if not very romantic. She switched her training to a less dangerous, if almost as vigorous schedule, and refined her studies to focus on the things in Itachi's books. She learned a lot about other countries, and anatomy, and secret codes. It seemed Itachi was subtly trying to encourage Shiko to up her career.

Late one night Itachi arrived at Shiko's window while she sat up studying her new anatomy manual. Silently he handed her a dark, heavy cloak. She tilted her head to the side, curious. He shook his head and grabbed her before jumping back outside. Moving too quickly for Shiko to keep up, Itachi carried her somewhere in the trees and then hugged her.

"Itachi?" Shiko asked, confused.

"I'm sorry," Itachi whispered.


End file.
